Plahontiuc told us not to interfere in his businesses, ex-deputy minister

Former deputy minister of the interior Ghenadie Cosovan said that when he was in office he was summoned to the office of Vlad Plahotniuc and told not to interfere in his businesses. Related statements were made in a news conference held jointly with two Liberal-Democratic MPs on February 20, Info-Prim Neo reports. According to Ghenadie Cosovan, in 2007 they investigated a criminal group specialized in money laundering in very large amounts. The investigations covered the companies Metal-Feros, Banca de Economii, and Franzeluta. They stopped when the criminal group was to be caught in the act. “I could not finish the investigation as a grenade attack was made on me and I was practically removed from the process. A colleague of mine was harassed, arrested and held in penitentiary No. 13,” he stated. He also said that Vlad Plahotniuc called him to his office for several times and told him to stay far from his businesses. Cosovan said that also in 2007 they investigated a criminal group that committed 18 murders by order in Ukraine and four murders in Moldova. “I was very surprised to find out that the group’s leader financed the construction of an apartment building for statesmen and functionaries of the Prosecutor General’s Office,” said the ex-deputy minister. He also said that the PDM head Marian Lupu was seen in the company of a leader of a criminal group called Bidon at an event in 2011. MPs Ion Butmalai and Alexandru Cimbriciuc told the same news conference that many wrongdoings are committed in the country and criminal cases are started by political order. They expressed their regret at having given a vote of confidence to the director of the National Anticorruption Center Viorel Chetraru as he acts exclusively by the political order of the Democrat Vlad Plahotniuc. They said they will ask Viorel Chetraru to come to Parliament to provide explanations over wiretapping and other illegalities dealt with by the Center.